Synthesis and improved electrochemical properties of Na-substituted Li 2 MnSiO 4 nanoparticles as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

Na-substituted Li 2 MnSiO 4 nanoparticles as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries were successfully synthesized by sol–gel method. The structure, morphology and electrochemical properties showed that Li 2− x Na x MnSiO 4 ( x = 0.1 and 0.2) possessed smaller particle size, larger specific surface area and delivered higher discharge capacity compared to those of pristine Li 2 MnSiO 4 , especially at a Na substituted ratio of 0.1. In addition, Li 1.9 Na 0.1 MnSiO 4 /C nanocomposite coated with uniform carbon layer demonstrated significantly improved electrochemical performance in terms of discharge capacity. The experimental results revealed that ion substitution and carbon coating might be a feasible method to improve the electrochemical properties of this material.